A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Rest Only in Christ
 
"But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark." (Genesis 8:9)
 
Unlike the raven, which Noah had sent out first, the dove could not live on the carrion floating on the flood waters. After nine months cooped up in the Ark, she had reveled in her freedom when Noah first released her from the window of the Ark. Unaware of the outside perils while safe with Noah, she flew gaily off into the open spaces beyond, just like many a professing Christian, eager to cast off the constraints of his or her parental religion. "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness" (Psalm 55:6-7).
 
But the dove could find no rest away from Noah, whose very name means "rest"! His father, Lamech, by prophetic inspiration, had called his name Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed" (Genesis 5:29). So she finally returned, finding rest once again in Noah's outstretched hands.
 
Just so, the Lord Jesus, in His greater ark of secure salvation, is waiting at its open window, with arms outstretched, inviting all those weary of the doomed world outside to return to Him. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Christ's message to the weary wanderer is: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, . . . return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isaiah 44:22). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Position
 
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." (Ephesians 1:4)
 
The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.
 
We are chosen! We are selected as a favorite out of "many |who| are called" (Matthew 22:14) "out of the world" (John 15:19). What a privilege! We are God's choice to bear His name, represent His cause, and share His glory throughout eternity.
 
In fact, we are "predestinated |previous boundaries set| . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself" (Ephesians 1:5). And "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
 
Furthermore, we have been "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). That word, "accepted," is a specialized form of the word most often translated "grace." We have been "graced" by almighty God, who has set absolute boundaries around our lives and made us His children. We were purchased "through his blood" (v. 7) "that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar |that is, 'precious'| people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).
 
Moreover, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)! Our sins are "covered" (Psalm 32:1); "cast" behind God's back (Isaiah 38:17); removed "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12); "remember|ed| . . . no more" (Jeremiah 31:34); and cleansed "from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
 
Hallelujah! Since we are God's children, we should have no identity crisis. We are a chosen, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and holy people. Finally, we are predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Purpose
 
"According as he hath chosen us in him . . . that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." (Ephesians 1:4)
 
In the grand purpose of our "selection" into God's family, two key words are used:
 
"Holy" (Greek hagios) stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God's, set apart for God's use, separated from the secular, and consecrated to God's service. All who are "chosen" are chosen to be holy.
 
The Colossian Christians were told to "mortify" the physical appetites, to "put off" their sinful mental attitudes and habits, and to "put on the new man . . . as the elect of God, holy and beloved" (Colossians 3:5-12). The focus is character.
 
"Without blame" refers to our reputations. This character will only be fully realized in heaven (1 Corinthians 1:8), but there is a present responsibility to "present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . . And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:1-2).
 
The character of holiness will become the cause of a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the "sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).
 
This holy and blameless condition will result in "the praise of the glory of his grace" (Ephesians 1:6), where God will someday "gather together in one all things in Christ" (v. 10).
 
What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation, so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God! HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Prosperity
 
"God and Father . . . who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
 
Given our high position in Christ, it follows that God would provide whatever is necessary to accomplish His purposes in and for us.
 
The "Beatitudes" of Matthew 5:3-12 provide a good illustration. Each "blessing" is designed to meet a need or fulfill a desire of God's "chosen" (Ephesians 1:4). The poor, meek, and persecuted are given ownership in the kingdom. The mournful are given God's special comfort. Those who hunger for righteousness are filled. The merciful will obtain mercy, the pure in heart will see God, and the peacemakers are identified as God's children. The longings of our souls and characters are all met by God.
 
The practical needs of "wisdom and prudence" are met, too (v. 8). Wisdom is knowledge focused toward useful application, and prudence is the ability to develop successful activities based on wisdom. The Word of God is the source of wisdom (Deuteronomy 4:1-6; Proverbs 1:1-6) and is inspired of God to be "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
 
Furthermore, He has "made known unto us the mystery of his will" (Ephesians 1:9). "Kept secret" in the days of the Old Testament prophets (Romans 16:25-26), it is now made clear to us so that we can show "unto the principalities and powers . . . by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians 3:10). These spiritual resources are available for every believer "to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7). We must pray that we do not waste these resources like the "wicked and slothful" servant in the parables of the talents and the pounds (Matthew 25:26; Luke 19:22). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Permission
 
"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)
 
The High Priest of Israel wore the inscription "holiness to the Lord" to illustrate to all who obeyed God that they were "accepted before the LORD" (Exodus 28:36-38). Joshua, as a type of all believers, was granted "places to walk" in the courts of God (Zechariah 3:7). Christ's disciples were commanded to "ask" the Father for "whatsoever," since they were chosen and ordained to "bring forth fruit" (John 15:16). We have permission to "ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7).
 
But there is more! Not only are we accepted, we are "sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13), an "earnest |down payment, deposit| of our inheritance" (v. 14). We are "stablishe|d| . . . anointed . . . sealed" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
 
We are "confirmed" in everything (1 Corinthians 1:4-8), consecrated and sanctified to serve (Exodus 28:41; 1 John 2:27), and given the "earnest of the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 5:5) to empower our ministry.
 
The Holy Spirit does His work through a threefold ministry in our lives. He will work on Christ's behalf, through our witness, to bring conviction to those not yet in Christ (John 16:7-11). He will also minister to us as the teacher of our spirits to guide us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:17, 26; 15:26).
 
Furthermore, the wisdom, prudence, and knowledge of God are revealed to us through His work in us (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). All that is necessary for our "effectual working" (Ephesians 3:7) is "graced" to us so that we can "work out |our| salvation" (Philippians 2:12). We are "complete in him" (Colossians 2:10). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Possibilities
 
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . May give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." (Ephesians 1:17-18)
 
The "spirit of wisdom" is applied to a wide variety of circumstances. It certainly includes leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9).
 
But wisdom is also identified with the ability to make beautiful clothing (Exodus 28:3) and to engineer and invent complex equipment (31:2-6). Daniel was said to have "an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts" (Daniel 5:12). We are even promised that our "adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist" (Luke 21:15).
 
A "spirit of revelation" is also made available to us. This revelation (literally, "to take off the cover") is not new doctrine or truth. Revelation is implemented by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10), having the source of His revelatory work from Jesus Christ on behalf of Christ (John 16:13-15).
 
The Greek language of the phrase "the eyes of |our| understanding being enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18) could be translated "the vision of your deep thought will be made to shine," or paraphrased in a more colloquial expression, "the light comes on!"
 
There are three specific enlightenments cited here: The hope of our calling (see Romans 15:13-14), the riches of the glory of our inheritance (11:33-36), and the exceeding greatness of His power exercised on our behalf (Ephesians 3:20; 6:10).
 
Each of these three are specifically designed by God to undergird our faith and embolden our confidence, even though we are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Power
 
"And . . . the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe." (Ephesians 1:19)
 
The power of the triune Creator, as displayed in the resurrection of Christ, is directed toward us! We can be certain that we will never fully comprehend that, but the Scriptures provide several clear statements that will help us get some usable grasp on this resource:
 
1) We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit indwells every believer (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19) and is therefore readily accessible to all believers (Ephesians 3:20).
 
2) We use the power of God every time we preach the gospel (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18), whether to one person or to thousands.
 
3) We learn of the power of God through "great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:3-4). Indeed, those promises involve "all things that pertain to life and godliness."
 
4) We see the results of the power of God in our lives when our characters reflect "all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11).
 
The Lord desires "that |we| might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19) and "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (v. 16). The purpose of this empowering is to be "rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith" (Colossians 2:7), "able to comprehend . . . the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18-19).
 
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (vv. 20-21). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Parentage
 
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Ephesians 2:1)
 
There are three descriptions of what we were prior to God's work in us, as described in the second chapter of Ephesians, and as listed below: We were "dead in trespasses |activities| and sins |character, attitude, condition|." The result was that we were unable to understand or seek God on our own (Romans 3:10-11). Nor are we able to know the "things of God" by our own intellectual prowess (1 Corinthians 2:14). "We walked according to the course of this world" (Ephesians 2:2), in "bondage" to the world (Galatians 4:3), and with the eyes of our minds "blinded" by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are "by nature the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). Both our natural desires (5:5-6) and our willful unbelief (John 3:36) have placed us under the ever-increasing wrathful judgment of God (Romans 2:5-9).
 
The transformation performed by God on us can only be "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:10). It involves God's rich "mercy" and "great love" (v. 4) to make us alive when we were dead (see John 5:21-24; Romans 6:4-6, 9-11).
 
That power "raises" us and "seats" us with God "positionally" in the heavens (Ephesians 2:6). That "grace" is effected through faith, and even "that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (vv. 8-9).
 
Whatever all of these promises may ultimately involve, they assure us of permanent status as the chosen, holy ones of God (Romans 8:29-39), "that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Christian's Partnership
 
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19)
 
Prior to salvation, we are called "aliens . . . and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now" we are part of the "new man" and the grand partnership that has been made possible between Jew and Gentile, Old and New Covenant saints, and the operative impact and purpose of the "household of God" (v. 12-13, 15, 19).
 
We are "made nigh" and made "one." The enemy has been abolished, with the "middle wall of partition" that was between us broken down (vv. 13-15), making us "one body," with common "access by one Spirit unto the Father" (vv. 16-18).
 
Therefore, we are "fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God . . . built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets"; "fitly framed," growing unto a "holy temple . . . for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (vv. 19-22). Now displayed in a fellowship of past and present, bond and free, male and female--all new "partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (3:1-6; Galatians 3:22-29).
 
And God has "created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vv. 9-11).
 
God has designed His salvation for us in such a way that we cannot fail to achieve His plans for us! We should humbly thank Him for what He has accomplished in us through Christ Jesus. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

God and the Nations
 
"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." (Isaiah 40:15)
 
God has a divine purpose for nations, as shown by the fact that there will even be "nations of them which are saved" (Revelation 21:24) in the new earth, outside the New Jerusalem. Nations were evidently first established after the dispersion at Babel when God forced the original post-Flood families to separate and to establish their own distinctive communities by confusing their languages (Genesis 11:9).
 
It thus has been natural and useful (in God's economy) for each nation to develop a sense of national pride and patriotic loyalty.  However, this has often been corrupted into militant expansionism or ethnic idolatry, and God has eventually had to put them down.  Nations need to remember that they are really "a very little thing" in God's sight, as a drop in a bucket or the fine dust on a scale.  He "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26).  Job testified back in the early days of the world's nations:  "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again" (Job 12:23).   No matter how powerful and self-reliant (or how weak and dependent) a nation may seem to be, "the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations" (Psalm 22:28).
 
Therefore, if a nation desires that its "time before appointed" be long and fruitful, and "the bounds of its habitation" be the optimum for its divine mission, it must be careful to honor and serve the true God of heaven, for "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God," while "blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD" (Psalm 9:17; 33:12). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Let Him Hear
 
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15)
 
The Lord Jesus Christ must have considered this exhortation to be of great importance, for it appears eight times in the four gospels and seven times in Revelation, all as spoken by Christ Himself--as well as one more time apparently uttered by John (Revelation 13:9). It is urgent, therefore, that people not just "hear" God’s Word with their ears ("in one ear and out the other," as the saying goes), but really hear it, with understanding minds and believing hearts and obedient lives.
 
It is most important, first of all, for unsaved men and women to respond to the gospel message in this way. Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Hearing this message with believing minds and hearts means all the difference between heaven and hell.
 
But that’s just the beginning. Jesus also said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (10:27-28). He not only promised us everlasting life when we first heard His voice, but also assures us that this life is truly everlasting, and can never be taken away from us, as we continue to hear His voice in His Word.
 
Not only everlasting life, but resurrection life! "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth." "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, . . . and the dead in Christ shall rise. . . : and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). He that hath ears, let him hear! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

We Soon Fly Away
 
"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." (Psalm 90:4)
 
In this unique psalm, Moses is stressing the brevity of even the longest human life with the everlasting nature of God. In the pre-Flood world, men were able to live many hundreds of years, but no one ever lived as long as 1,000 years. By Moses’ time, the typical lifespan was 70 or 80 years (v. 10), much the same as today. Moses lived to age 120, but he was twice as old as most of his contemporaries when he finally died (note Numbers 14:29, 34; Deuteronomy 34:7).
 
Moses, therefore, was profoundly impressed with the ephemeral nature of a person’s time on earth. Even if someone had lived a thousand years, this was only a little while in God’s sight, and his life would soon "fly away" (Psalm 90:10) and be forgotten.
 
There is nothing in this passage, incidentally, or in 2 Peter 3:8 ("one day is with the Lord as a thousand years") to justify the misinterpretation that attributes billions of years to God’s creation week. In context (and one must always be sensitive to the context if he wants to understand any passage of Scripture), neither Moses nor Peter were referring to the creation week at all. Moses was stressing the brevity of human life, even that of the antediluvians, while Peter was rebuking the latter-day uniformitarians who would come denying the catastrophic effects of the great Flood. It is too bad that so many Christians are willing to distort Scripture like this in order to accommodate the imaginary ages of evolution.
 
The message we should really get from this Mosaic observation is the application He Himself makes. "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12)! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Presence in Flood and Flame
 
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2)
 
Although this tremendous promise is primarily to be understood in a spiritual sense (deliverance through overflowing sorrows and fiery trials), God has demonstrated His ability to fulfill the spiritual aspects of the promise by its miraculous literal fulfillment in the physical realm, on special occasions. The crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel is an obvious example of safe passage through deep waters.
 
The amazing experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace is the most spectacular example of deliverance from burning. As the three emerged unscathed from the "exceeding hot" flames, the king was astounded when he "saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them" (Daniel 3:27).
 
The entire world once was caused to pass through the Flood and one day must be destroyed by the fire (2 Peter 3:6, 10), but "eight souls were saved by water" (1 Peter 3:20) as the Flood carried them safely away in Noah's Ark from the violent world of the antediluvians, and all those truly trusting in Christ will be "saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15) when He comes again.
 
These great experiences of the past and promises of the future assure us that God is able to deliver us through the deep waters and burning trials of this present life. "That the trial of your faith, . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Joint Heirs with Christ
 
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:16-17)
 
Modern-day humanists and unbelievers take great sport in belittling Christians, but despite their estimate, and even despite whatever humble view Christians may entertain of themselves, the fact remains that the Bible clearly declares believers to possess a position of preeminent standing and blessing.
 
Consider the wondrous fact that we as believers are "children of God." "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). We are His offspring, for "according to his abundant mercy |he| hath begotten us again" (1 Peter 1:3). As His children, we even look like Him, in a spiritual sense, "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), and His Fatherly love surrounds us.
 
Furthermore, we are the inheritors of all good things, just as a human child can expect to inherit from his or her human father. Christ is the Son of God, but He is also "the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). Our inheritance is nothing less than God Himself: all that He is and has is ours, and we will share it all with Christ, our elder brother. "The glory which thou |the Father| gavest me |Christ| I have given them |all believers|" (John 17:22).
 
This standing and privilege is ours, but we must not forget it is ours as a result of His doing, not our own worth, lest we become prideful. Nevertheless, it is ours. So let us believe it, accept it, and present it in such a way that others will want to share in it. JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Pattern in the Mount
 
"And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount." (Exodus 25:40)
 
Nothing that God does is capricious or accidental. A remarkable object lesson of His attention to every detail in the plan of salvation is the tabernacle in the wilderness. The divine blueprint for this structure and its attendants, followed by its construction and dedication, occupy no less than thirteen chapters of Exodus. Then the exposition of the symbolical meaning of "the pattern" shown to Moses "in the mount" occupies a major part of three chapters in the book of Hebrews. At least in terms of space allocated to the tabernacle, it seems to constitute the major "type" of the Bible, speaking in many ways of the Lord Jesus Christ. Numerous authors have devoted entire volumes to its exposition. The brazen altar, the laver, the mercy seat, the high priest--all "serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount" (Hebrews 8:5).
 
The God of the infinite cosmos is also the careful designer of every detail of His tabernacle and every moment of our days. "In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:16). Just as it was vitally important for the builders of the tabernacle to follow God's pattern precisely, so it is essential that we also follow His blueprint for our own lives, and that pattern is Christ Himself. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). If our lives are to speak of Christ, as did the tabernacle, we must "walk, even as he walked" (1 John 2:6). HMM